STATS took a 3 – 0 lead in the first on the strength of a Greg Dowling home run. While STATS was fired up, the Pirates played flat. The buccaneers committed at least one error in each of the first five innings. Meanwhile, STATS took advantage via timely hitting, combined with those errors, running up a 9 – 0 lead entering the bottom of the fourth. The boys in yellow and black finally showed a little spark, getting it back to 9 – 4, but STATS answered with another two runs to make it 11 – 4. The Pirates scored two more on a Joey Fabiano home run, making it 11 – 6, but they went quiet after that. STATS scored four more in the seventh and pitcher Dan McGill finished off a seven-hit performance by inducing a double play grounder to end it.

It is now nut-cutting time for The Pirates and Magix Box, who entered these series as pretty substantial favorites. Can either of them take two straight against hot teams who are fired up? We’ll see.

STATS began the scoring after Pirate starter Wally Preble struck out the first batter of the game. Eric Thomas doubled. Preble induced a pop-up to Steve Stalcup at short for the second out, but then he walked Cody Hill. Rob Doherty and Dan McGill delivered clutch singles to make it 2 - 0.

Top of the second almost saw a triple play. With two on and nobody out, Kevin Miller hit a sharp grounder to Steve Stalcup. Cup tagged the runner trying to advance to third, stepped on the bag for another out, and just missed gunning out Miller at first. The third our was made via the next batter and then bottom of the second saw the Pirates get on the board when STATS had their only truly hurtful defensive lapse. With two out, Josh Neely reached third base as the result of multiple errors and Pat Pickup brought him home with a single. 2 - 1, STATS, after two complete. Both teams went scoreless in the third, with shortstop STATS shortstop Eric Thomas snagging a line drive off Josh McKelligan's bat and getting the double play on Patrick Irvine scrambling to get back to first base.

Fourth inning saw STATS take the lead on Dylan Britton's two-out three-run homer. It was 5 - 1, STATS, and folks in the stands were starting to buzz about the improbable upset. But then, in the bottom of the fifth, the Pirates climbed back into a tie. Greg Bosse led off with a double and Steve Stalcup drew a base on balls (one of three for him on the evening.) Charlie Conners walked to load the bases. A sac fly by Irvine made it 5 - 2. After pitcher Dan McGill got the second out, McKelligan stepped to the plate and blasted one out, bringing the Pirates to life on their bench. It was now a 5 - 5 ballgame after five.

Back came STATS in the top of the sixth to take the lead once again. With one out, Doherty and McGill both singled. A fine catch in left field, off of a Steve Pesapane line drive, gave the Pirates two outs. Nate O'Doherty-Popp (remember that name) singled to load the bases. Then Dylan Britton delivered again, driving in two with a clutch single. Kevin Miller plated another one and it was 8 - 5, STATS. The upset buzz was back and it grew stronger when the Pirates went scoreless in the bottom of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, Brian Pacheco came on to pitch for the Pirates. He was nursing a small hairline fracture, suffered in a tournament in Vermont over the weekend via a line drive off his lower shin, but he had good stuff. None of that mattered to Eric Thomas, who singled to lead off. Corey Schneider, a Preble strikeout victim in his previous AB, followed with another single and the ball got away from the Pirates. Thomas scored the unearned run, adding to STATS lead. It was now 9 - 5 and, after Cheeks got three outs to strand Schneider at second, it was last call for the top-seeded Pirates.

They were up to the task. Stalcup drew his third walk of the evening to lead off. Charlie Conners singled. After an Irvine fielders choice left runners on first and third, Chris "Killer" Kowalski delivered a run-scoring single, 9 - 6. A second out was recorded on a fly to center. STATS was still up three and needed one out to end it. Chris Armstrong did NOT give it to them. He stepped to the plate and crushed one to left center, into the trees, and the Pirates had completed a game-tying comeback. Pat "Dub" Wilson then singled, putting the winning run on for the black-and-yellow, but pitcher Dan McGill - who had to be shell-shocked by the sudden comeback - sucked it up and got Josh Neely to fly out to center. On to extra innings!

At this point, nobody would have denied the 13th-seeded STATS some serious props. They had given the top-ranked team in the league all they could handle, and if they went down in extra innings it would have been no shame.

They didn't go down. With one out, Nate O'Doherty-Popp laced what appeared to be a good single to right field. However, the Pirates right fielder made a diving attempt for the ball and it skipped right by him. Popp circled the bases, a home run, and the amazing underdogs had the lead again. Cheeks retired the next two batters and it was once more last call for Loco.

Dylan Britton made a nice play at third base to get Pat Pickup, 5 to 3, one out. Greg Bosse flied to center, two outs. And Steve Stalcup flied to left fielder Kevin Miller and The Team That Refuses To Die had pulled off another improbable playoff upset. STATS will now face Magix Box in the semi-finals. Do you believe in miracles?

In getting to the semi-finals, STATS has given two previously undefeated pitchers their first losses of the season. Drew Atton (Banshee - 5-0 and the lowest ERA of all pitchers) and Brian Pacheco (Pirates - 9-0). Amazingly, they beat Pacheco TWICE, once as a starter and once as a reliever.

STATS wins best of three series 2-1

After Jay Allen opened the game with a single, Brian Goodman’s home run staked Spot to a 2 – 0 lead. In the bottom of the second, Box took their only lead of the game, 3 – 2. That’s when the emotions started heating up. As Kevin “KO” O’Hara ran to his position in the outfield, he said, “New leader!” Some players from Spot began jawing with him, each time answered by O’Hara shouting “New leader!” This went on for a while and the next inning – when actual ball wasn’t being played – was filled with various players milling near the other’s sidelines, offers to take off the gloves and fight, a shove by a couple of players and general bad feelings. Once things settled down, Ryan Maguire, Mike Garland and Chris Flaherty all homered to give Spot a 6 – 3 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Julian Alvarez homered to close the gap to 6 – 4. Then the floodgates opened. The Spot plated 9 runs in the top of the fifth (on seven hits, a walk, a sac fly and three errors, with Scotty Simpson’s three-run homer being the biggest blow) driving Magix Box starter Stevie Lannon to the showers in favor of Jacky Manning. The 69-year-old Manning did not stem the tide immediately. Once the dust had settled, Spot had scored 13 runs in the inning altogether and Magix Box needed to score in order to avoid a mercying. They did score, and the game ended up going the full seven (and about two hours and fifteen minutes overall) but Spot led comfortably to the finish. Game two is set for Monday at 8:15. It should be a dandy with ringside seats still available through the league's box office.

Magix Box wins series 2-1

Jimmy Botting led off by reaching on an error. Joel Kershner walked. Marshall Chick singled the bases loaded. Mark Preziosi doubled home two, 9 - 7, still no outs. Mike Boudreau got one home with a sac fly, 9 - 8, runner on third, one out. Then it got weird. Jake Yagian hit one to center that Dave Piccirilli and Marc Montesano converged on simultaneously. It was ruled that the ball was not caught by either of them and Yagian was on first. Keith "Beefa" Savage singled to score Prez, Yagian going to second. Then Drew Brock lofted a fly ball to Marc Montesano, which Marc caught. Yagian tagged up to go to third, but Montesano held onto the ball and Yagian, seeing that, continued on to score. Ballgame. And many Local 149 players were mad, to say the least. As it turns out, Montesano thought there were three outs and it was headed to extra innings. He swears he caught Yagian's ball and he had no idea it was only one out before he caught Brock's fly. Very disappointing end for 149 and while Harp made a good comeback, it was a very lucky win for them - and I'm pretty sure they'd tell you that, too.

Harp wins series 2-0

Elevated Realty wins series 2-0

A power display by Magix Box put this one away, despite STATS having an early lead from their own power.

It was a 1 - 1 affair heading into the fourth. Then Greg Dowling gave STATS the lead, 3 - 1, with a long round-tripper to right center. Murmurs about another STATS upset began to be heard in the packed stands.

It wasn't to be. In the bottom of the fourth, Dan Brown and Mike Selig opened with back-to-back solo shots to tie the game. John Manning singled. Coach Danny Ekasala doubled to put men on second and third. After a fly out, Jason "Eeka" Calnan singled home Manning for the lead, 4 - 3. A sac fly by George Siegel upped the lead to 5 - 3. Then more power was put on display as Miguel "Lenky" Dupree powered one out to make it 7 - 3 and Sammy "Ballgame" MacDonald hit a long one to the N Street diamond to make it 8 - 3. Rocky Pisa put up two shutout innings, then his teammates went back to work in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four more, the big blow another bomb from Sammy Ballgame, good for three runs. That made it 12 - 3 as STATS headed into their last call. The 100-1 shots didn't quit, as Stevie Pesapane put one over the fence good for two runs and Kevin Miller doubled in two more later on, but the deficit was too much to overcome and the Box had the 1 - 0 series lead.

Once again, STATS was game but The Box exploded for some curly numbers late to outdistance their opponents.

Box got out quickly on a three-run Pat Dolbeare homer in the top of the first, but STATS battled back for a 5 - 5 tie entering the fifth inning. Then the team in white opened up a lead via a Sandy Jonge (4-for-5) single; a Sam MacDonald (4-for-5, 4 RBI) double that scored Jonge; and a Home run by Miguel "Lenky" Dupree. Following that, Dolbeare singled, Danny Ekasala singled, Nate Mattson sent Dolbeare home with a sac fly and Jason "Eeka" Calnan put one over the left field fence to score both he and Ekasala - six tuns total in the inning, 11 - 5, Box.

From there it was a matter of holding STATS at bay and winning the innings, which Box did. They take a 2 - 0 lead into game three of the best-of-five.

As was the case in the preceding two games, STATS played tough. It was again a toss-up after the early innings, but Box (again) asserted their superiority via a power display. Five home runs (Mike Selig (2), Sandy Jonge, Miguel "Lenky" Dupree, and Pat Dolbeare) proved to be too much for STATS to overcome. Box took a 12 - 3 lead into the sixth and the stands started emptying out.

Not so fast, ye of little faith. STATS never gives up and they didn't now. Cody Hill doubled. Greg Dowling scored Hill with a single. Corey Schneider walked. Dylan Britton tripled those two runners home. Tim Higins singled home Britton. And Eric Thomas sent starter Jacky Manning to the showers with another single. STATS had scored four, making it 12 - 7, and had two men on, still with nobody out. Box coach Danny Ekasala called Rocky Pisa to come on in relief. Rocky got the first two he faced, but Kevin Miller doubled home Higgins and Thomas and suddenly it was a true ballgame again, 12 - 9, with a runner in scoring position. Pisa bore down, though, and got leadoff hitter Matt Restivo to ground out, ending the threat.

Box added a run in the bottom of the sixth via Selig's second home run, making it 13 - 9 heading into last call for The Team That Refuses To Die. And they made another attempt to kick open their coffin. Stevie Pesapane (for my money, maybe the most underrated ballplayer in the league) did what a leadoff man should do in the situation he had, which was to work a walk. Hill followed with a grounder to the right side, but it wasn't played cleanly and now STATS had two on and nobody out. Greg Dowling singled to score Pesapane, 13 - 10, and STATS brought the tying run to the plate, still with no outs. However, Rocky Pisa found some extra gas and got Schneider to pop up and then Britton to ground into a season-ending double play. The Team That Refuses To Die was finally subdued.

In the end, Box had too much stick for STATS to match. And they earned their way to finals, where the opposing pitchers had best be on their "A" game.

Magix Box wins series 3-0

Harp & Bard played small ball to get the lead and then put the hammer down to seal the deal, taking game one 16 - 1 in five innings. Elevated took a lead in the top of the second, scoring their only run off of pitcher Robby Costello on Bret Belcastro's single - he ended up on third due to an error - and then a botched pickoff attempt on Dave "Funky" Blandino, who had walked. From then on it was all Harp. They tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Keith "Beefa" Savage's run-scoring triple, and then took the lead as Billy Botting grounded out, 4 - 3, scoring the man from third. In the bottom of the fourth they broke it wide open. Mark Preziosi walked. Mike Boudreau singled. After a fly out, Billy Botting singled to load the bases. A walk by Drew Brock scored one. Dave "Bongo" Conlon's single scored Boudreau and Botting. Jimmy Botting singled to score Brock. Joel Kershner singled, scoring Conlon. Marshall Chick (4-for-4) singled in Jimmy Botting. Then came the hammer, as Jason Clucas and Preziosi hit back-to-back homers. That was the ballgame, more or less. Harp scored four more in the fifth to make it official, with Preziosi's single scoring Chick for the game-winner. Costello, who toughed it out through some sort of flu bug - he was retching in the dugout before the game - gave up only four hits and no earned runs

It's not often that a guy who goes 0-for-2 and leaves the game after the second inning is your MVP, but Cody Carlson was that guy for Elevated Realty.

Elevated opened the scoring on a two-run Bret Belcastro homer in the bottom of the first. Harp came back to plate three in the top of the second. It might have been more if Cody Carlson, playing second for Elevated, didn't lay out to stop a grounder from reaching the outfield. The batter reached, but nobody advanced more than a base. In the process, Carlson separated his left shoulder and had to finish the inning on the bench. OK, that was a tough break for Cody, and it was nice he made the play, but the heroics happen in the bottom of the inning.

Chris Bartlett singles; Mike Talarico grounds out to first; Den Pencinger walks; Chris Williams flies out. This leaves men on first and second, two outs, and Cody Carlson due up. If he doesn't bat, it's an automatic out - the third one, and no runs score. There is no sub on the bench. It is suggested to him that he just go up and stand there and maybe get lucky and draw a walk. Not Cody. He goes up swinging, albeit with one arm - his right. Since he bats left, it's his lead arm; not as bad as the other way around. After fouling one off, he hits a weak grounder to third. But Cody hustles, the throw from Marshall Chick is off-line, Cody is safe, Bartlett scores to tie the game. Since Elevated had already used their courtesy runner option for Bartlett, Carlson had to run, too. And then Jeff White steps to the plate and hits a three-run homer. Belcastro singles and Mike McGrath triples him in. That ended the scoring, but because Cody Carlson didn't just stay on the bench and take an out, Elevated came up with five runs and a 7 - 3 lead after two innings. It would have been a goose egg without him.

Now Cody left the game. Harp got two back in the third on solo shot homers by Jason Clucas and Mike Boudreau, then another on Jake Yagian's RBI single in the fourth, but Elevated got five more in the bottom of that inning, making it 12 - 6, and Harp was unable to close the gap any further than the final 12 - 9 score. The series is tied, one game apiece.

Take away the five runs Elevated scored after Carlson gutted it out - and maybe add a Harp run on the ball he stopped while separating his shoulder - and it's a mighty good shot that Harp wins the game. And that's how you get to be MVP going 0-for-2 and leaving the game after two innings. I'd say the guys on Elevated owe Cody a steak dinner.

The guys in grey took the early lead, benefiting from a couple of Harp errors in the top of the first and scoring three. Harp came back in the bottom of the inning on Jason Clucas's two- run double. Then the boys in red added three more via singles, walks and help of an error, making it 5 - 3 after two complete.

Mike McGrath's home run in the third closed the gap to 5 - 3, but Harp played effective small ball in the bottom of the inning. A single by Mark Preziosi, a walk by Mike Boudreau, a run-scoring single from Keith "Beefa" Savage, another run-scoring single from Dave "Bongo" Conlon, and yet another run-scoring single by Drew Brock, upped the lead to 9 - 4 Harp. It looked like Harp might be on the way to a relatively easy victory.

Nope. Elevated came right back at them. Andrew "Ace" Christopher singled to lead off. Mike Talarico followed with another single. Chris "Joy Boy" Williams walked to load the bases. Dan Pencinger delivered two runs with a single. After Harp's Robby Costello got two outs via pop-up, Mike McGrath again delivered with a single. Small ball worked just as well for Elevated and the score was tied at nine apiece.

Harp took the lead again in the bottom of the fourth on more small ball. Marshall Chick singled. After an out, Preziosi and Boudreau both walked to load the bases and put the pressure on Elevated starter Jeff White. And then Savage singled in two for the 11 - 9 Harp lead. Both teams went scoreless in the fifth, with Chris Bartlett replacing White on the mound for Elevated.

Top of the sixth saw Elevated once again willing to take what Harp was willing to give them - lots of walks. Williams and Pencinger walked back-to-back to open the inning. White popped out, but then Bret Belcastro and McGrath added two more walks, with McGrath's producing a run. Then, with bases loaded, Brendan "Freedom" McGinn delivered a double to plate two and Dave "Funky" Blandino followed with another two-run double. It was now 14 - 11, Elevated, and the game appeared to be slipping away from Harp, especially when they went 1 - 2 - 3 in the bottom of the sixth.

Elevated did not add to the lead in the top of the seventh, but it didn't seem like it would matter. Bartlett was throwing well and Harp was looking beat. But Boudreau took to heart his teammate's calls of "any way on" and he hustled out a grounder that was booted. Next up, Savage grounded to the normally sure-handed Belcastro. With a little luck, maybe a double play ball, but nother error left Harp with men on first and second and a suddenly life-filled bench. Conlon forced Boudreau at third and Billy Botting popped up - what should have been the third out had the grounders been handled cleanly. But Harp was still alive, and even more so after Drew Brock singled to score Savage, 14 - 12, with Jimmy Botting coming to the plate representing the possible winning run. And Botting delivered with a double that plated Conlon, looked like it might also bring home Brock with the tying run, and then the ball skipped by the Elevated outfield, Brock scored and the speedy Botting came all the way around, giving Harp & Bard the miraculous come-from-behind victory. It should be noted that Chris Bartlett gave up only two hits in his three innings of relief and none of the runs scored against him were earned. Tough way to take a loss.

The first six Harp hitters reached base in the top of the first. Jimmy Botting doubled. Joel Kershner singled and Botting used his speed to come home when the throw came into second. Marshall Chick singled. League home run leader Jason Clucas then put one out of the park to make it 4 - 0 (and prompting Elevated to walk him intentionally two times later in the ballgame.) Mark Preziosi doubled and Mike Boudreau singled, but they were stranded. Nevertheless, it was a quick downer for Elevated and a 4 - 0 lead for Harp.

In the top of the second, Harp added three more - two coming in when Marshall Chick hit a sac fly, scoring Drew Brock, and Jimmy Botting once again showed his speed by motoring home from second base on the fly ball. In the bottom of the fourth, Elevated got as close as they would all night, scoring four when Paul "Dots" Doherty singled, Chris "Joy Boy" Williams singled, Dan Pencinger grounded out to put runners on second and third with one out, Bret Belcastro singled the two home, An E-5 put Mike McGrath on with Belcastro, Brendan "Freedom" McGinn walked to load the bases, Dave "Funky" Blandino hit a sac fly to score Belcastro, Chris Bartlett reached on an error to re-load the bases, and Mike Talarico drew a base on balls to score McGrath. 7 - 4, after three complete.

Both teams failed to score in the fourth, then Harp put up two more in the fifth, with the RBIs coming from Billy Botting and Drew Brock. The teams traded one-run innings in the sixth, to make it 10 -5. Then Harp added three more in the top of the seventh after two outs. Keith "Beefa" Savage singled. The two outs were recorded. Drew Brock singled. Pitcher Johnny Brooks (a good outing, scattering 8 hits) singled to drive in the first run. After a Jimmy Botting walk, Joel Kershner drove in two. It was now 13 - 6, last call for Elevated Realty. Brooks took care of business, throwing strikes and getting outs (Elevated plated one, unearned) and Harp & Bard celebrated a win in the series, 3 games to one.

Harp & Bard wins best of five series 3-1

Robby Costello took a line drive off the calf, and he'll have one hell of a bruise tomorrow, but he gutted out the last four innings and got the win as Harp & Bard captured game one of the championship series.

Harp opened the scoring on Joel Kershner's home run over Kevin "K.O." O'Hara's head in right center. Magix Box tied the score in the bottom of the inning on George Seigel's leadoff triple and Miguel "Lenky" Dupree's vicious line drive that appeared to maybe still be rising as it was caught on a dead run by Harp center fielder Mark Preziosi. After the sac fly, Box loaded the bases with one out. However, Costello stranded the runners by getting the next two batters.

In the bottom of the third, Box took the lead. Mike Selig singled, as did Seigel and Sandy Jonge, with Selig scoring on Jonge's hit. Lenky Dupree grounded into a double play, with Seigel moving to third. Pat Dolbeare reached on an error, making it first and third, two outs. Then Costello took the ball off his calf. O'Hara laced one back through the box, off Costello, scoring Seigel. Costello dropped in a heap and was in serious pain for a few minutes. After walking it off a bit, Costello resumed pitching and Dan Brown put one right back through the five hole on Costello, scoring Dolbeare. And the third out was right back at Costello also, a line drive by John Manning. Costello, shellshocked and in pain, went to the bench trailing 4 - 1 after three complete.

Harp regained the lead in the top of the fifth. Billy Botting singled. After a pop out, his brother Jimmy doubled. Then Joel Kershner delivered again, driving in both Bottings with a single. Marshall Chick doubled to put runners on second and third. On a 3 - 0 count, Box elected to put Jason Clucas on base intentionally, loading the sacks. Mark Preziosi forced Clucas at second, but Kershner scored to tie the game. Then Mike Boudreau hit one that might have been an out played cleanly, but he hustled it out and Chick scored to give Harp the lead, 5 - 4. Meanwhile, Costello retired the side in order in Box's fourth and fifth.

After Harp went scoreless in the sixth - helped to that goose egg by Billy Botting being picked off of first on a nice gun by Mike Selig - Box finally got to Costello again. Dupree led off with a double. Dolbeare walked. O'Hara flied out to right, but Brown singled to score Dupree and John Manning singled to score Dolbeare, with Brown going to third. Danny Ekasala got Brown home with a sac fly and The Box took a 7 - 5 lead into Harp's last call.

Except Harp turned it around and made it last call for Magix Box. With one out, Kershner (4-for-4) singled again and Marshall Chick followed with a single of his own. Box pitcher Rocky Pisa made a nice pitch and got Jason Clucas to tap a weak grounder in front of Pisa, but Pisa couldn't make the play cleanly and Kershner came around to score. Preziosi singled to score Chick, tying the game. Pisa got the second out on a foul to Seigel in left field, but Keith "Beefa" Savage singled in Clucas and Dave "Bongo" Conlon singled in Preziosi. Further damage was avoided when Dan Brown made a nice play to get Billy Botting, 5 to 3. Harp took a 9 - 7 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Costello got help from his third baseman, Marshall Chick, on a nice play to retire Jason "Eeka" Calnan for the first out. Mike Selig doubled, though, and - after a George Seigel fly out to Jimmy Botting in right center - Costello walked Sandy Jonge, bringing Lenky Dupree to the plate as the potential winning run. It was suggested to Costello that he walk Dupree, but he elected not to do so and Dupree singled, scoring Selig, and now Pat Dolbeare was coming up with the winning run on base. And Patsy hit a shot... but it didn't quite have enough to carry to the fence in center field, as Mark Preziosi camped under it about four feet away from the gate in center field, caught it, and Harp had a hard-earned 9 - 8 victory in game one. Ice up, Robby Costello - and have a brew. You earned it!

This one was not an artistic success. Well, maybe for one team. Magix Box came out loaded for bear. Playing the part of the bear in tonight's performance? Harp & Bard.

Box scored early and often. In the first inning, George Seigel led off with a double. Sandy Jonge grounded to short, but it was mishandled. Luckily for Harp, Seigel got caught in a rundown, going out 6 - 5 - 4 - 6, while Jonge remained on first. Sammy "Ballgame" MacDonald then forced Jonge at second base and it looked as though Harp might leave the inning unharmed. It didn't happen. Miguel "Lenky" Dupree singled. Pat Dolbeare singled to score Jonge. Mike Selig singled to score Dupree. And Kevin "K.O." O'Hara drove one over the fence for the 5 - 0 Magix Box lead.

Harp scored one in the bottom of the inning when Marshall chick walked with two outs and Jason Clucas drove one deep to right center, but you began to have the feeling it wasn't their night when Clucas tried to stretch his triple into a home run and was easily gunned down at the plate, O'Hara to Jonge to Selig. Box got that run back in the second and Harp went scoreless in their half. Then the flood gates opened.

Top of the third. Dolbeare singles. Selig walks. O'Hara singles to load the bases. John Manning reaches on an error, one run in. Danny Ekasala brings in a second run via a sac fly. Nate Mattson walks. Seigel singles in two. Jonge reaches on an error, run scoring. MacDonald gets on via another error, run scores. Dupree pops out, but Patsy Dolbeare rockets one into the trees for another three runs. Selig and O'Hara both single again, but Harp finally gets the sixth... excuse me, third out. It is 15 - 1, Box, and the writing is on the wall.

Harp tries to battle back. Dave "Bongo" Conlon walks to lead off the bottom of the third. Billy Botting singles. Box starting pitcher Rocky Pisa gets a strikeout, but Jimmy Botting singles to load them up for Joel Kershner. Kershner stayed hot, driving in two with a single (over the first two games, Kersh has been responsible for six of Harp's fifteen runs batted in - that's 40%, for you mathematicians in the crowd.) Botting and Kershner move to second and third on a ground out, and Clucas walks to load them up again, but Rocky Pisa bears down and gets his second strikeout of the inning to end the threat.

Billy Botting now takes over on the mound for Harp, trailing 15 - 3, and it doesn't get any better. Control problems plague him from the start. In the inning, Box scores six runs on two hits, one of those hits being a grand slam by Selig. It is now 21 - 3 at halftime.

Not much else to tell that made a huge difference to the outcome. Harp scored three (unearned) off relief pitcher Jacky Manning, but Box scored four more in the top of the fifth and Harp went without a score in the bottom. Ballgame. The series is tied at one game each and third game is Wednesday evening at 8:30.

This was a game that, as a real softball fan, you felt sorry for either team to lose. Both pitchers worked their way out of jams nicely, there were some very good defensive plays on both sides, a bit of strategy that should have paid off and didn't...

Harp put two on with two out in the top of the first, but Box pitcher Rocky Pisa got the dangerous Mark Preziosi to pop up to end it. Box started their half strong, with Sandy Jonge walking to lead off and Julian Alvarez going very deep over the fence in right center field (it bounced off the brown wall and hit two cars on the way back, including mine.). Sammy MacDonald followed with a long shot to a deeper part of right center, but Jimmy Botting was playing him there and recorded the first out. Lenky Dupree walked and, after another out, Mike Selig singled, but Harp's Robby Costello got K. O. O'Hara to ground back to him for the third out. 2-0 Box after one inning of play.

The score remained that way until the top of the fifth inning. Billy Botting led off with a single for Harp. Box then committed their only error of the evening. Perhaps remembering game two, where they picked off Botting, Mike Selig pegged to John Manning in an attempt to catch him napping again, but the throw was no good and Botting was able to go to second. Robby Costello followed with a soft one that found a spot in left, giving Harp first and third with nobody out. Dave "Bongo" Conlon flied out, but Botting scored to break the ice for Harp. They eventually had two men on, with two outs, but were unable to get the equalizer when Pisa struck out Marshall Chick swinging.

It wasn't Chick's night. The normally fine third basemen committed a costly error in the bottom of the fifth. Nate Mattson walked to start things. After Costello induced a Jonge fly out, he elected to put Alvarez - who had gone deep earlier, as you'll recall - on base intentionally. Robby then got MacDonald to hit a grounder, forcing Alvarez. Costello then got Lenky Dupree to ground to third and it looked like his strategy would pay off. However, the ball eluded Chick and Mattson scored to make it 3 - 1, Box after five. Both pitchers were sharp through five complete, Pisa had given up five hits and Costello had given up only three.

Harp went 1 - 2 -3 in the top of the sixth. And then Mike Selig got Box's fourth hit off of Costello, a home run that rivaled Alvarez's earlier shot for length. Four hits for Box, but two of them were homers that plated three runs. It was 4 - 1, Box, heading into Harp's last call.

Harp made it exciting. Keith "Beefa" Savage started things with a solid single. Then Billy Botting doubled, putting men on second and third with none out, tying run coming up. But Costello flied to left and Conlon hit a soft liner to Jonge at shortstop. That left Harp's hopes in the hands of Jimmy Botting. And Jimmy didn't disappoint. He doubled, scoring both Savage and his brother Billy. Now the hot Joel Kershner was up with Jimmy representing the tying tun on second. But Rocky Pisa induced a ground ball to MacDonald at third, who flipped to Johnny Manning at first to end it. Fine game for both squads, with the difference being the slimmest of margins.

Magix Box takes the 2 - 1 series lead, with a doubleheader scheduled for Monday evening to decide things. Harp will have to sweep for the championship. They've shown they can play with The Box, beating them in game one and coming damn close tonight. It should be fun.

Magix Box trailed heading into the sixth inning, but then outscored Harp & Bard, 9 - 0, over the final two innings, to win the 2016 MSSL Championship, three games to one.

Things were looking bad for Harp right from the beginning. Number one pitcher Robby Costello, who had already beaten Magix Box in one game and taken them to the limit in another, was unable to make the game. That left things in the hands of Billy Bottting, the only Harp pitcher who showed up. For someone thrown into the fire with little notice, Billy did a decent job of it.

Box started quick. Sandy Jonge singled, Sammy "Ballgame" MacDonald walked, and Julian Alvarez singled to load the bases with nobody out. A hard liner off the bat of Pat Dolbeare was caught by shortstop Joel Kershner for one out, but then Mike Selig walked to drive in the first run. Kevin "K.O." O'Hara forced MacDonald at home for out number two, but John Manning singled in Alvarez to make it 2 - 0 after the top of the first.

After Harp only managed a single in the bottom of the first, Nate Mattson led off with a triple for Box. But after a pop-up for the first out, Sandy Jonge grounded to Marshall Chick at third and Chick threw to Matt O'Donnell at home. O'Donnell put a nice tag on Mattson and Box was left with a runner on first with two outs. MacDonald walked, but they failed to score as Julian Alvarez flied to right. Rocky Pisa got Harp 1 - 2 - 3 in the bottom of the second and then Mike Selig powered one through the trees in left center to make it 3 - 0 Box. Again, Pisa didn't give up a hit in Harp's half.

Top of the fourth saw Billy Botting strand two Box runners. Then Harp came to life. Joel Kershner singled. Chick singled. Jason Clucas walked to load the bases. Mark Preziosi singled to score Kershner, making it 3 - 1, still bases loaded. After an infield fly out, Keith "Beefa" Savage singled to tie the game, scoring Chick and Clucas. Then Dave "Bongo" Conlon, who made many clutch plate appearances in this series, singled. That scored Preziosi and gave Harp a 4 - 3 lead. Drew Brock followed with a grounder to Lenky Dupree at second, a possible double play ball, but the toss to Jonge at second didn't make it into his glove. Savage's run scored. And when the return throw from left field also went wide of the mark, Conlon came around to score and Brock ended up on third base, still with just one out. Matt O'Donnell hit a grounder and Brock was going on contact. He was thrown out on a very close play at the plate. And then Jimmy Botting flied to right center to end the inning. Harp had scored six times, to take a 6 - 3 lead into the fifth inning.

In the top of the fifth, Alvarez flied out, but Dolbeare and Selig singled. O'Hara followed by working a base on balls, loading them up for John Manning. Manning singled, scoring Dolbeare, but Preziosi uncorked a fine throw from center to O'Donnell at home and Selig ended up caught in a rundown and tagged out. Ekasala walked to load the bases again, but Billy Botting got Mattson to fly out, leaving Harp ahead, 6 - 4. And they got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a single by Kershner and an RBI double by Chick (who played a fine game tonight, perhaps erasing some of the bad taste from his game three.) It was 7 - 4, Harp, heading into the sixth. The boys in red started to believe they could extend this thing to game five.

The team in white tried to extinguish those thoughts quick, fast, and in a hurry. Lenky Dupree closed the gap to two with a lead off homer. A Jonge walk and MacDonald single put two on for Alvarez and he wasted no time in bringing them, and himself, home. Julian's homer made it 8 - 7, Box, and Harp would never have the lead again. Another run scored in the frame as O'Hara came around, with two outs, on a Manning grounder that eluded Harp.

Now facing a 9 - 7 deficit, Harp tried to rally. They put the first two runners on via a single and an error, but Pisa caught a pop-up, induced another one that Selig grabbed in a nice play wherein he came out from behind the plate, and then a 5 - 3 grounder ended Harp's best last shot. In the top of the seventh, Box put it out of reach, the big blow being a three-run Mike Selig homer that made the score 13 - 7. And that's how it ended. Kershner singled to lead off, but three straight outs followed. Magix Box won and the celebration was underway.

Mike Selig (10 of 13, 3 walks, 4 home runs and 11 RBI) and Rocky Pisa (3 wins, and lots of clutch) shared MVP honors.

Congratulations to Magix Box, 2016 MSSL Champions!